During an interview at EthCC 2026 in Cannes, France, Kunz said a lot traditional finance Companies still approach DeFi in silos, often trying to rebuild technology that already works well.
1inch is a DeFi aggregator that routes transactions across multiple routes protocols to find the best possible implementation. The technology is integrated into major Web3 purses and used by some institutional platforms including Coin base.
Institutions that work in silos
Kunz described 1inch as a hybrid between a search engine for sign swaps and a backend infrastructure provider for financial applications. The platform’s routing algorithms identify the most efficient paths for trading between assets, even if they are direct liquidity is not available, while the intent-based protocols enable compliant execution by professionals market makers.
“We are like a search engine for users who want the best execution when exchanging assets, and at the same time as an infrastructure layer for developers, companies and institutions,” he said.
The model positions 1inch as a foundational layer for both retail and institutional participation in the DeFi markets.
However, Kunz said a lack of coordination continues to slow institutional adoption, with companies often building in isolation rather than working together with established protocols.
“They work in silos and try to build what already exists without really discovering who has already done it,” he said. “I would encourage them to work together rather than reinvent the wheel because it already works very well and is very efficient.”
His comments reflect a broader theme at EthCC, where DeFi founders are increasingly positioning their platforms as infrastructure for traditional finance rather than direct alternatives to it.
AI to improve integration, not execution
On the topic of artificial intelligence, Kunz said the most immediate value for 1inch lies in improving developer productivity and integration, rather than improving core trading features. He noted that the platform’s routing algorithms already operate at high efficiency, eliminating the need for AI for the execution itself.
Instead, he sees AI playing a useful role in simplifying access to data and accelerating product integration.
Kunz also expressed caution in directly deploying AI agents within financial products, citing concerns about accountability in a decentralized environment.
“This reflects the decentralized finance culture. You are responsible for your actions,” he said. “I don’t want to be responsible for your actions. That’s why I’m not sure we will introduce something that will be decisive for the users. People have to understand and decide for themselves.”
His comments highlight a key tension in the evolution of DeFi: how to balance greater automation and improved user experience with the industry’s core principle of individual responsibility.